A bacteriostatic agent is a substance that retards the life processes of the bacteria and although it does not kill them instantly through continuous inhibition it will eventually result in death for the bacteria. Heretofore, cosmetic toiletries have been made with water insoluble plastic or plastic derivative containers which when placed in the water tank of the toilet release a liquid or water soluble substance containing one or more of the aforementioned agents. The substance is generally colored employing one of the many commercially available dyes and upon exhaustion of the agents in the container, indicated by absence of color in the fluid, the water insoluble plastic or plastic derivative container is removed from the toilet tank and discarded. All of the presently available toilet elements are unequivocally activated by the water pressure in the tank or the amount of water in the tank and in the absence of either factor the element is nonoperable and useless. These items are expensive to manufacture; some parts are disposable; they discolor the inner surfaces of the water tank; they are difficult to use; they have a structural part to maintain them in position in the tank; and they are costly to the consumer.
This invention has for an object the production of a toilet element which does not contain any water insoluble part or component thereof, is not suspended in the water tank by any hanging part and usually is not visible.
A related object is to provide a completely water soluble entity containing the active ingredients dispersed, embedded, suspended or emulsed in the water sensitive, water soluble or water swellable binding agent. A further object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive and long lasting toilet article for the consumer.
The novel object of the invention is that it is totally independent of water pressure in the tank or the water level (the amount of the water) in the tank.
The central object of the invention is to provide a water soluble toilet element containing therein bacteriostatic and/or deodorizing and/or coloring agents and is active only when contacted with water and is adapted to be placed in such a position in the toilet that such contact occurs only during the flushing of water whereby the normal mechanical and structural components of the toilet open to allow such contact with water and at the completion of the flushing cycle the mechanical and structural components mechanically close to disallow further contact of the element with water.
Still other objects will become apparent from the following description.